Adjustable socket-wrench



F. J. HERMAN.

ADJUSTABLE SOCKET WRENCH. APPLICATION FILED act. 11, 1920,

1,379,918, Patented Ma 31,1921.

FRANK J. HERMA1\T, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE SOCKET-WRENCH.

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial No. 416,059.

a socket wrench wherein the jaws or wallsof the socket may be adjusted to accommodate fastening devices of various sizes.

Another object is to provide a socket wrench of this character which may be readily adjusted and at the same time permit it to provide 'a substantially rectangular socket including a bottom and four Walls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of this character wherein each of the jaws is provided with a pair of extensions, the extensions of one jaw being arranged for movement transversely of the extensions of the other jaw in the adjustment of the wrench.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a socket wrench of this character wherein the size of the socket may be decreased or increased without eliminating any of the walls or bottom of the socket.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wrench of this character wherein the movable jaw is adjusted without requiring the formation of teeth or other irregularities in the broad face of the shank which serves as the bottom of the socket.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved con struction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more particularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged elevation of an adjustable socket wrench constructed in ac cordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the jaws adjusted, a nut being shown in dotted lines within the socket, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a shank formed from a strip of metal and having, arelatively broad front face 6 and.

rear face 7. The end 8 of the shank 5 is tapered and provided with a socket jaw 9.,

the side 11, said extension projecting from the rear portion ofthe edge 15 of said side. The sides 10 and 11 merge at the apex of the tapered portionof the shank to provide a substantially V-shaped socket. A plurality of teeth 16 are formed on one longitudinal edge of the shank 5, said teeth cooperating in the adjustment of the wrench.

Slidably mounted on the shank 5 is a rectangular sleeve 17, said sleeve being wider than the shank 5 and having a plurality of teeth 18 formed on the inner surface of the side 19 of the sleeve. This permits the broad sides of the sleeve to slide unobstructedly over the smooth faces 6 and 7 of the shank, as the teeth may be disengaged from each other in view of the width of the sleeve. The end 20 of the broad face of the sleeve engaged with the front face 6 of the shank is provided with a V-shaped recess 21, said recess being adapted to receive and permanently hold a socket aw 22. This aw consists of side members 23 and 24, said sides merging at the intermediate portion of the end 20. The side 23 is provided with a projection 25 which projects from the rear portion of the upper edge 26 of said side and is adapted to be received in the recess formed through the cotiperation of the extension 12 and shank 5. Anextension 27 projects from the forward portion of the upper edge 28 of the side 24. By means of the extensions on the jaws 9 and 22, the size of the socket can be increased ordecreased without forming large openings in the walls thereof. This is possible by the movement of the extensions of one jaw transversely of the extensions of the opposite jaws, that is, the extension 12 of the jaw 9 moves across the outer edge of the extension 25 of the jaw 22, the extensions 27 and 14 being also movable transversely of each other. By this novel arrangement angular corners are formed similar to the corners of the socket jaws 9 and 22 so that the sides of the jaws are permitted to en gage all sides of a nut or headof a bolt, the

shank 5 disposed between said jaws serving as the bottom of the socket.

In order to hold the jaw 22 in its adjusted position a threaded opening is provided in the side 19 of the sleeve 17, said opening being adapted to receive a thumb screw 29 which engages the opposite longitudinal edge of the shank so as to move the sleeve 1''? laterally thereof and cause interlocking engagement of the teeth 18 and 16. To prevent accidental disengagement of the screw 29, a resilient bracket 30 is secured to the side 19 f the sleeve and is extended out vardly, downwardly and inwardly and has its end 31 disposed in a recess 82 in the head of the screw. By this means when the screw 29 is rotated away from or out of the sleeve 17, the resilient bracket 30 will prevent accidental disengagement of the same by resisting vibration and shocks. At the same time the screw may be readily rotated into engagement with the edge of the shank to lock the sleeve thereon.

In the operation of the wrench, the socket jaws 9 and 22 are moved toward and away from each other if desired, the extensions of one jaw moving across the extensions of the other jaw to permit interlocking engagement of said jaws and adjust the socket to the size desired. By making the faces 6 and 7 of the shank relatively broad, rotation of the sleeve 17 is prevented and at the same time permitted to slide readily thereover in view of the smooth surfaces of said faces, and in addition to this the shank is permitted to form the bottom of the socket.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that this invention provides a novel form of socket wrench which may be readily adjusted without doing away with the rec taiigular walls necessary in a socket wrench. At the .ame time the fastening means for holding the slidable a in its adjusted position are disposed on one side of the wrench and sleeve so that said means does not interfere with the sliding movement of the sleeve on the shank, and the entire wrench is composed of only a small number of parts which in view of their simplicity, will last indefinitely.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable socket wrench eompris ing a shank, a stationary socket jaw carried by the shank, a slidable socket jaw on said shank, a portion of each jaw being arranged to intersect the opposite jaw upon movement of the slidable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

2. An adjustable socket wrench comprising a shank, a substantially V-shaped jaw warried by one face of the shank, a sleeve slidable on said shank, means for holding said sleeve in its adjusted positions, said sleeve having a substantially V-shaped jaw projecting from one face thereof, the ends of said jaws being provided with e tensions, the extension of one jaw being adapted to intersect the extension of the opposite jaw upon movement of the sleeve toward the jaw of the shank.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

FRANK J. HERMAN. 

